Tips For Planning A Fun Family Game Night

Family Game Night Ideas The Whole Clan Will Love

There is a secret to effective family bonding that many families have already discovered: a regular family game night that gets the whole clan together for food, laughs and friendly competition.

This tradition may not be one that your children will embrace wholeheartedly when you first introduce the idea to them. After all, you will be cutting into video-game and television time in the name of family oneness, and they may rebel at first.

However, family fun night is a ritual that many adults today look back on with fond memories, and your kids will, too, once they realize how much fun they can be.

To make your family game night a success, check out these tips for a successful gathering.

Benefits of Family Game Night

Sure, family game nights are fun, but are there other good reasons to drag out the board games and popcorn bowls?

Absolutely, according to most families.

Playing games with your kids teaches them skills that will help them succeed in school, with their friends and in life. Social skills, such as taking turns and being a good winner or loser, are essential. Games also teach academic lessons, such as colors and counting, sorting and matching, reading and logical reasoning. Life skills, such as patience, teamwork and concentration, are also learned at the family game table. And games are good for Mom and Dad too, since keeping the mind active with activities like these can help ward off symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease and dementia.

Beyond lessons learned, family games also give your clan the opportunity to spend time together in a relaxed environment that is conducive to positive bonding and communication. You might be surprised at what you learn about your kids during these evenings!

Since most of us remember family game nights of our youth with warmth and affection, you can rest assured that you are building positive, happy memories for your own children as well.

There are so many good reasons to take the time to play games together – why not take the next step and plan the first family fun night in your own home?

The Planning Process

Family game night should be a consistent part of your family's schedule, whether you make it once a week, every other week or once a month.

By selecting the same night, your kids can look forward to the event – and they will, once they find out how much fun the nights can be. Many families allow each member to take a turn planning the evening by choosing the game and the snacks. Others prefer to write choices on slips of paper and place them in a jar. Family members take turns drawing from the jar to see which game will be on the agenda for that night.

Once your family game night is under way, turn off the television and leave the phone to the answering machine. The only interruption that should be allowed, beyond blood or fire, is to answer the door when the pizza arrives!

What to Play

There are so many choices in family games today that the hardest part of the evening is to choose just one.

To make your very first family night special, pick up a brand-new game and wrap it up for the kids to open. This will kick off your new family tradition in a fun and exciting manner.

It is also important to select games that are age-appropriate, since it won't be much fun for little guys if all the activities are beyond their abilities. If you have children of different age and skill levels, begin with a game that is easy enough for the youngest to play. The older siblings might complain a bit, but once they get into a rousing game of Candy Land or Don't Break the Ice, they may forget that this particular selection is supposedly for the 4-and-under set. After your first game, you can have the youngest join Mommy or Daddy's "team" to play a more complex variety or send the little one to bed and get the harder game out later.

The classic games we all enjoyed as children are still quite popular today. Some, like Monopoly, Dominoes and The Game of Life now come in updated packages sporting your children's favorite Nickelodeon or Disney characters to re-spark interest.

For younger kids (under 8), check out these selections:

Candy Land

Chutes and Ladders

HiHo Cherry-O

Memory

Twister

All of these games will teach important concepts like colors and counting, and will be easy enough for even the youngest in your clan to enjoy.

Older children (over 8) will have plenty of fun with these games:

“Junior” versions of adult classics, such as Trivial Pursuit and Pictionary

Life

Monopoly

Scrabble

These games are complex enough to keep the interest of older kids, and will prove to be challenging for Mom and Dad as well.

While nearly all games are educational in some way, some games for family night are more pointed in their teaching purpose. Blokus is a new educational game for elementary-age kids, and The Allowance Game teaches how to count money and have fun. Cranium games are designed with intellectual development in mind, and the bright colors and variety of media included in the game set (including clay to make sculptures) will keep kids' interest for long periods of time.

Check out Balloon Lagoon, Hullabaloo and Cadoo for plenty of fun for the whole family. DVD games such as the Scene It series are another great idea for family game night. (Yes, television is supposed to be a no-no for family game night, but these offerings are so much fun that they’re worth an exception.)

Finally, classic games that are a blast for all ages include Bingo, Spoons and Charades.

More Tips

To make family game night even more exciting, wrap up small prizes to offer your kids at the end of the night. You can give one to the child who wins the game, the one who displays good sportsmanship or the child who makes the greatest effort.

To mix things up a bit, take your game night on the road with a night of bowling or miniature golf; you are still indulging in a night of friendly competition, but in a different venue. You can also invite another family once in a while to join you for your game night. You get to enjoy the company of another brood, and your kids learn hospitality skills on top of the other lessons they are already getting.

Family game night may take effort and planning to begin, but the benefits to your family will make them well worth the effort. These special nights will build relationships within your clan and create memories that none of you will forget. Choose games that everyone in the family likes to play, and rotate the selection regularly to keep things interesting. Add some yummy snacks to the mix, like popcorn or ice cream sundaes, to make the evening more festive.

Get your family game night on the calendar and stick with the date just like you would any other important occasion. Nothing is more important for a family than spending quality time together.

Are You A Good Mom?

Being a good mom means more than baking cookies and joining the PTA. An effective mother does things like structure meaningful family activities that help kids learn while having fun. She watches over her offspring, providing guidance, encouragement, and discipline. On the other hand, with a busy schedule and not enough "Me" time, babysitters and bowling can start to take center stage. Hey mom, find out if you've got the parenting thing down by taking the quiz.

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